WhatsApp Commerce Policy

Where it lives

Commerce section of the Business Messaging Policy, pointing to the Meta Commerce Policy

Covers

Catalogues, product messages, carts and payments

Regulated verticals

Never bought or sold through commerce features

India messaging lists

Over-the-counter drugs: yes · alcohol: no · online gambling: no

Item review

Automatic; fix or appeal in Meta Commerce Manager

Who owns the sale

The business: terms, fulfilment, refunds and taxes

Policy last updated

23 September 2026

1. 1

   Classify your range

   Sort products into allowed, regulated and prohibited before building the catalogue or Product Feed. Regulated and prohibited items stay out of commerce features entirely.

2. 2

   Check country rules for messaging

   For regulated verticals, check whether the policy allows messaging about them in India at all — over-the-counter drugs yes, alcohol and online gambling no — and follow Indian law on top.

3. 3

   Upload and let review run

   Each item is reviewed automatically when it is added in Meta Commerce Manager or synced from a feed. Check the issues list after every upload or sync.

4. 4

   Fix or appeal rejections

   Correct misleading titles, images or descriptions and resubmit, or request a review in Commerce Manager if an allowed item was misjudged.

5. 5

   Own the transaction

   Publish your sales, refund and privacy terms, handle fulfilment, and collect and remit taxes such as GST; WhatsApp is not a party to the sale.

• Listing first, checking later

  Rejected items vanish from the storefront. Classify the range before uploading and keep prohibited items out of the feed.

• Confusing messaging rules with selling rules

  Even where you may message about a regulated product, you may not sell it through catalogues or payments. Use messages for information and a compliant checkout elsewhere.

• Disguising products

  Listing a vape as an "accessory" or hiding alcohol in a gift hamper is the kind of misleading listing that gets items rejected and accounts restricted.

• Assuming another country's rules apply in India

  Country lists differ by vertical: alcohol messaging allowed in some countries is not allowed for India. Check the list for each country you target.

• Forgetting the business owns the sale

  WhatsApp is not the merchant. Publish refund and privacy terms, handle disputes and account for GST yourself.

A catalogue is only useful if its items stay visible. Products that break the commerce rules are hidden, so a pharmacy that lists medicines or a liquor shop that lists bottles ends up with a half-empty storefront and customers asking why. Persistent violations move enforcement from item level to account level, and the same WhatsApp Business Account that sends OTPs and order updates can then be restricted. Checking a product range against the policy before building the catalogue saves a rejected launch and protects the rest of the channel.

• Store a policy classification for every product in your product information system, so new items are checked on creation.
• Review the catalogue's issues list after every feed sync.
• Send customers for regulated products to a licensed checkout outside WhatsApp with a plain link.

What products are banned in WhatsApp Business catalogues?

Goods the Meta Commerce Policy prohibits, including drugs, tobacco, alcohol, weapons, adult products, animals and real-money gambling, plus any regulated vertical. Rejected items are hidden from customers.

Can I sell alcohol on WhatsApp in India?

No. Alcohol cannot be sold through WhatsApp commerce features, and India is not on the policy's list of countries where alcohol messaging is allowed.

Can a pharmacy use WhatsApp Business in India?

Yes, for messaging within limits, since India is on the over-the-counter drug list. No medicines may be sold through the catalogue or payments, and prescription drugs may not be promoted.

What happens if my catalogue breaks the WhatsApp Commerce Policy?

The item is rejected and hidden, and you can fix it or request a review in Meta Commerce Manager. Repeated or serious violations can restrict commerce features or the whole WhatsApp account.

Is the WhatsApp Commerce Policy the same as the Meta Commerce Policy?

WhatsApp now points to the Meta Commerce Policy for what may be sold, and adds its own rules: regulated verticals can never be sold through commerce features, and country lists govern messaging.